Jagathy Sreekumar

Sreekumar P K, better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar, and popularly as Jagathy, is an Indian film actor[1] who has starred in over 1200 Malayalam films in a career spanning almost four decades.[4][5][6] Hailed as one of the greatest comedians of all-time in Malayalam cinema, he is also known for his highly nuanced character roles. He is the son of acclaimed dramaturge and writer, the late Jagathy N. K. Achary.

Jagathy Sreekumar won five Kerala State Film Awards among numerous other awards for his roles in various films. He has also directed two films and written screenplays for two more. His stage name is derived from the neighborhood of Jagathy in Thiruvananthapuram from where he hails. He was an outspoken orator holding strong views, quite unlike his onscreen image and his speeches are still popular on Youtube 7 years after his hiatus from the silver-screen.

With 1,070-odd Malayalam films to his credit (as of 2005),[7] he was reckoned as one of the most prolific actors in the industry, however Jagathy was involved in a vehicle accident in March 2012 and was hospitalized for over a year. He is still recovering from his injuries. His film career has been being on hold since the accident.[8] It has been reported via various news outlets that Jagathi Sreekumar is back to acting through a Television Ad for a Thrissur based Water Theme Park[9][10]

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Sreekumar is the son of Malayalam dramatist and writer Jagathy N. K. Achary (1924–1997) (also fondly known as Jagathy) and his wife Prasanna from the famed Edavancaud family of Mavelikkara. N. K. Achary was Station Director at All India Radio, Thiruvananthapuram. Sreekumar has two siblings, Krishnakumar and Jameela; and 2 step-siblings Murali and Sugadamma.

"My father was my strength. He used to take me to movies and bring home scripts of plays for me to read. Being in All India Radio, my father had contacts with stalwarts in this field. He created many opportunities for me to interact with them. This helped me in my career." says Jagathy Sreekumar about his father Jagathy NK Achari[7] He attended the Model School in Trivandrum, and graduated with a bachelor's degree Zoology from Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. After college he briefly worked as a medical representative before later becoming an actor.[11]

Jagathy married Mallika Sukumaran in 1976 and divorced in 1979. He married Shobha in 1980. They have a son, Rajkumar, and a daughter, Parvathy.[3] Just days before the March 2012 road accident that took away years of his life, Jagathy had publicly revealed that he had a daughter Sreelekshmi Sreekumar, with actor Kala, also said to be his second wife.[12]

On 10 March 2012, he was seriously injured in a road accident at Panambra near the Calicut University at Tenhipalam in Malappuram dt.[13] He was immediately rushed to MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode, where he remained for one month. Later, he was taken to Vellore Christian Medical College for advanced treatment. He underwent multiple surgical procedures. He remained in hospital for twelve months, appearing in public for the first time in March 2013, unable to speak.[14] In 2014, he was again taken to Vellore for further check-ups and returned to his home later. Recently he appeared in a private channel during onam with Nedumudi Venu in which he sang old songs.

Sreekumar was a Class V student at Model School in Thiruvananthapuram when he first got the opportunity to act in a school play. He continued to act in plays written by his father NK Achary for Kalanilayam, in big and small roles. By the time he joined Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, he had become an experienced theatre person.[7]

Though a widely popular actor, he did not believe in acting "for awards" .[7] He acted in just one language other than Malayalam: in Aadum Koothu, a Tamil film directed by the Malayalam director T. V. Chandran.[17]